Cleveland/West Side

The West Side consists of the Cleveland neighborhoods west of the Cuyahoga River and Downtown. These traditionally working-class neighborhoods have been experiencing urban renewal, particularly in the Tremont, Ohio City, and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods.

Get in

For information on getting to Cleveland, see Cleveland#Get in

See

The Other White Meat

A Christmas Story House

• 🌍 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 10AM-5PM. Box office closes at 4PM. The zoo is closed on Jan 1 and Dec 25. Exhibits include Australian Adventure; African Savanna; Wilderness Trek; The Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building; The RainForest; Waterfowl Lake; and Monkey Island, an island with colobus monkeys living in free-range conditions. Some exhibits require additional admission fees. $9 adults 12+ ($6 from November 1-March 31), $4 children 2-11, free for kids under 2.  
• 🌍 A Christmas Story House, 3159 W 11th St (in Tremont), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. This is the actual house used in the 1983 modern-day classic film A Christmas Story. It has since been converted into a museum dedicated to the film - most visitors come during Christmas season. Access to the inside of the house and the museum are limited to tours. Tours run hourly at 15min past the hour and last for about 45min. Inside the house there are props to play with (like a Red Ryder bb gun, a blue bowling ball, several hats, Lifebuoy soap, etc.). Tours start at the gift shop which is also where tickets can be purchased. $11.88/adult, $9.72 seniors, $7.56 children 7-12, children 6 and under free. (updated May 2017)

• 🌍 Franklin Castle (Tiedemann House). A victorian era stone house that is very castlelike. Many claim the house is haunted. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Greater Cleveland Aquarium, 2000 Sycamore St, ☎ [phone]. Mo-Su 10:00am-5:00pm. Features exhibits representing both local and exotic species of fish. (updated Mar 2019)

Tremont Art Galleries

Tremont is experiencing an enormous influx of redevelopment that was pioneered by the arts community. The Tremont ArtWalk takes place on the second Friday of every month (6-10PM).

• Asterisk Gallery, 2393 Professor St (Tremont,), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Hours by appointment only. Often features live music and DJs as well as its art. 
• Doubting Thomas Gallery, 856 Jefferson (Tremont,), ☎ [phone]. 

Other Galleries

• 78th Street Studios, 1300 West 78th St (Detroit-Shoreway,), e-mail: [e-mail]. Varies by gallery. A large art gallery complex housed in a repurposed motor factory building in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. Every third Friday of the month, they have an open house. Features over 30 galleries. Visit the website for events. 

Do

• 🌍 Lakefront Reservation (Edgewater Park). The West Side's lakefront park. There's a seasonal beach on Lake Erie with grills, picnic shelters, a playground, a snack bar & fishing pier. 
• 🌍 Glass Bubble Project, 2421 Bridge Ave (behind The Garage Bar), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Here you can experience the magic of glass blowing. Local artists give free public demonstrations. Take a class or browse the gallery, you might just find a piece of hand blown glass artwork that fits your fancy. 

Buy

West Side Market

• 🌍 West Side Market, 1979 W 25th St (Northeast corner of Lorain Ave (western node of the Hope Memorial (Lorain-Carnegie Bridge). M 7AM-4PM, W 7AM-4PM, F-Sa 7AM-6PM. An old world produce market directly across the Cuyahoga River from Cleveland's skyscrapers, along with an arcade area containing shops with food of Irish, German, Slovenians, Italian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern descents, among others. 
• Banyan Tree, 2242 Professor St (Tremont), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Hours: M-W, 11AM - 7PM, Th- Sa, 11AM-9PM, Su 11AM-5PM.. Home decor and jewelry designed to an artwork. 
• 🌍 Steelyard Commons, 3447 Steelyard Dr. Large retail complex featuring a Target, Walmart, K&G Fashion, Old Navy, Marshalls, Petco, Home Depot, and numerous other stores. 
• 🌍 Great Northern Mall, 4954 Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted, OH (12 miles (19 km) southwest of Cleveland on I-480), ☎ [phone]. Hosts shopping, Macy's and JCPenney department stores, Dick's Sporting Goods store, and over 120 more shops and restaurants. Family parking near the H&M and Dillard's mall entrances. (updated Oct 2015)

Eat

100th Bomb Group Restaurant

Sokolowski's University Inn

• Happy Dog, 5801 Detroit Ave (Detroit-Shoreway), ☎ [phone]. A uniquely Cleveland restaurant in a repurposed Croatian tavern, featuring hot dogs with over 50 toppings ranging from the normal (ketchup, mustard, and relish) to the insane (Fruit Loops and peanut butter) that you can mix and match in any combination that you'd like. They also have a great beer selection. They often have live music, and there's a basement bar with pinball and shuffleboard. Check the website for events. $. 
• 🌍 Sokolowski's University Inn, 1201 University Rd (Tremont), ☎ [phone]. Famous family owned cafeteria style Polish restaurant. $. 
• 🌍 The Parkview Nite Club, 1261 West 58th St (Detroit-Shoreway), ☎ [phone]. Somewhat hidden neighborhood bar known for their live blues shows. 
• 🌍 100th Bomb Group Restaurant, 20920 Brookpark Rd (directly across from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-11PM, Su 9:30AM-2:30PM. An elegant WWII, aviation themed restaurant. (updated Apr 2017)

Drink

A bottle of Christmas Ale

The West Side is home to many coffee shops, craft breweries, and streets full of bars. One of the West Side's main drinking locations is West 25th St, which is anchored by the West Side Market and home Northeast Ohio's largest craft brewery, Great Lakes Brewing Company. There are bars scattered throughout the Tremont neighborhood, particularly on Professor Street. The stretch of Detroit Avenue beginning at West 58th St. and ending at West 78th St. is quickly developing into a go-to location for drinking and dining. If you tend to like working-class dive bars that are off the beaten path, consider visiting Pearl Road or State Road in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, which are guaranteed to have cheap drinks and local color. Below are just some of the many places to grab a drink.

• Jukebox, 1404 W 29th St (Ohio City), ☎ [phone]. M-F 5PM-2AM, Sa Noon-2AM, Su Noon-Midnight. Small neighborhood bar based around the idea of having a great music selection and delicious perogies. (updated Apr 2017)
• Platform Beer Co., 4125 Lorain Ave (Ohio City), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 3PM-Midnight, F 3PM-1AM, Sa 10AM-2AM, Su 10AM-10PM. Cleveland's most inventive craft brewery. Visit often as the beers on tap change frequently. (updated Apr 2017)
• 🌍 Velvet Tango Room, 2095 Columbus Rd (Tremont), ☎ [phone]. Known for its mixed drinks and intimate setting. 
• Rocky River Brewing Company. Brewery and restaurant on the west side. 
• 🌍 Great Lakes Brewing Co, 2516 Market Ave, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-Midnight, F 11:30AM-1AM, Sa 11AM-1AM. Largest brewery in the area. Happy hour M-F 4PM-7PM. Offers beer samplers. (updated Apr 2017)
• Western Reserve Meadery, 2135 Columbus Road Suite C, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. T, W, Th 4-10, Fri 4-11, Sat 12-11. Makers of mead (honey wine) with a cozy tasting room where you can sample and learn about mead. Mead available for consumption on premise or to go. (updated Apr 2019)

Sleep

• 🌍 The Cleveland Hostel, 2090 W 25th St (take the red line to Ohio City/W 25 St), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: Noon. The only hostel in Cleveland with a large kitchen, wi-fi, bike rentals and a very large open common space on the second floor. It's located in Ohio City near the West Side Market. The coffee shop on the first floor acts as the reception for the host, so even though the hostel is 24hrs, reception's hours are limited to 9AM-10PM. The hostel is very modern and very nice. There are several bathrooms on both floors, which is why ensuite dorms are only nominally more expensive than regular dorm rooms. Dorms $26 and up+tax, privates $68 and up+tax. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 Sheraton Cleveland Airport, 5300 Riverside Dr, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. The only hotel located on the grounds of Cleveland International Airport (CLE). 

Connect

• Brumback Library - Ohio City Branch, 101 Carmean St, Ohio City, ☎ [phone]. (updated Dec 2018)
• 🌍 Cleveland Public Library Jefferson Branch, 850 Jefferson Ave, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. (updated Dec 2018)
• 🌍 Station A Cleveland Post Office. (updated Mar 2019)

Go next

• Lakewood - The first suburb to the west of Cleveland, Lakewood is full of bars, boutiques, and independent restaurants.